Information

Thorium energy is a proven technology which offers to meet the world's energy demands for many centuries, at a price cheaper than coal.

Technology

There is plenty of information about Thorium energy. But, significantly, it relates to different concepts and technologies. Some sources discuss Thorium in solid form, which leaves most of the fuel unused, resulting in large amounts of waste. IThEO however, promotes technologies which use all the fuel, and preferably all the old waste with it.

Development

There are two main sources of information about Thorium energy. One originates from the days at ORNL (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) between 1940-70 and is of a scientific nature. Most of these scientific documents are available from the www.energyfromthorium PDF page

After this initial period of development, Thorium energy was left largely unpursued. But today the Thorium energy movement is increasingly gathering momentum.

Thorium History

During the 1940s there were two competing fields of development, represented by Enrico Fermin and the U.S. military on one side, and Eugene Wigner and Alvin Weinberg at ORNL on the other side, advocating Thorium energy.

Sadly, due to political and military priorities of the time, Wigner and Weinberg's work ceased to receive funding, and a commercial Thorium solution was never realised, despite their work successfully proving the concept of Thorium energy. If the right choice had been taken, today we would not face the environmental and energy problems which we do.

A detailed account of the ORNL period and beyond

“He chronicles the successes, failures, and future of nuclear energy with compassionate understanding about the fact that the sacred fire may have come to mankind before we were ready to handle it.”

The author Alvin Weinberg was elected to membership in the American Philosophical society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Science. He received twelve honorary degrees, and was president of the American Nuclear Society.

Media Coverage

The U.S. is Helping China Build a Novel, Superior Nuclear Reactor
The Department of Energy is dusting off one of the old betamaxes of nuclear technology: The molten salt reactor… continue

Thorium Power Is the Safer Future of Nuclear Energy
There’s another kind of nuclear energy that’s been waiting in the wings for decades - and it may just demand a recalibration of our thoughts on nuclear power.… continue

New ‘Safer’ Nuclear Reactor Offers Hopes for Waste Disposal
A team from Cambridge will investigate the potential for using thorium-based fuel in a new reactor under development in the US that… continue

Nuclear Energy: The Once and Future Power Source
India, which has the world’s largest thorium deposits, and China are starting to experiment with the technology… continue

Thorium Lends a Fiery Hand
Although most of the current research is focused on its chemical characteristics, perhaps thorium's most revolutionary potential use involves its nuclear chemistry… continue

Is Thorium the Perfect Fuel?
Discusses the advantages nuclear reactors fuelled by liquid thorium salts may offer over the ones currently used to power homes and businesses… continue

Why Aren't We Using Thorium in Nuclear Reactors?
Given the possibility of a meltdown is nearly zero and the waste cannot be used to make bombs... continue

Nuclear power looks for new ally—environmentalistsCountries like India and China have made thorium a linchpin of a long-term transition away from uranium, said Paul Genoa, director of policy development at the Nuclear Energy Institute… continue

Asgard’s Fire
So a technology abandoned because it could not be turned into weapons may now, in part for that very reason, be about to resurface… continue

Thorium and the Dream of Clean Nuclear PowerA new generation of scientists and nuclear engineers argue that thorium could be the key to realizing a dream… continue

Thorium type nuclear should have been developed years ago…Thorium type nuclear, of all sizes, should have been developed years ago, and is still possible… continue

The nuke that might have been
Being plentiful and cheap, thorium is the only fuel that stands a chance of generating electricity as cheaply as burning coal. As such, it is the only fuel capable of weaning the world off the biggest single polluter of all… continue

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Top News

China Declares ”War on Pollution” and makes Thorium the SolutionThe Chinese government has just expressed what it expects from its Thorium Energy Program.It wants to cut the development time from 25 years to…continue

World’s First Thorium Reactor DesignedIndia’s forward-thinking attitude has established the country as the leader in thorium reactor development. But can India put its long-term plan… continue

Areva and Solvay Join Forces to ThorifyThey joined forces on an R&D programme focused on medium-term Thorium valorization in nuclear power, geared towards first phase of fuel development… continue

Thorium Research Center in NorwayThe new government in Norway has announced a plan to establish a thorium research center. This is not because commercial production of energy based on thorium is needed in Norway.Indeed, Norway is predicting... continue

Government of India Statement on ThoriumThe Government of India has made a press release called “Thorium as a Safe and Clean Energy Source”. Thorium will be introduced on a large scale at… continue

China Announces Thorium Energy ProjectThe Chinese Academy of Sciences announced that it will finance the development of a programme to develop a Thorium Fuelled Molten Salt Reactor (TFMSR).This programme will place China at the forefront… continue

Bill Gates Invest in Thorium Capable Reactor VentureBill Gates received a standing ovation at this year's TED Conference in Long Beach, California."There are some innovations in nuclear, there is modular, there is liquid…" continue

Congressman Calls for Thorium EnergyIn his quest for the US to produce more responsible energy at home, Congressman Joe Sestak looked for ways to improve the energy industry.He then began to take a closer look at thorium energy and has since… continue

Former Greenpeace Director ContributesHe has taken a vehemently anti-nuclear stance throughout his career as an environmentalist and is therefore noted for his u-turn.Meet the environmentalist Stephen Tindale… continue

A Transformative Leapfrog MoveRuss Wilcox, former CEO of E Ink and co-founder of Transatomic Power explains “A Defining Moment for Choosing his Next Venture”.Transatomic Power is here to transform the nuclear industry… continue

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